Happy Friday Everyone! Here is a playlist of eight songs I’ve had in rotation recently:
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Freeze Tag (feat. Kamasi Washington & Phoelix) by Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper and 9th Wonder: this dream team of hip-hop and jazz heavyweights have come together to bring us Dinner Party, an album certain to appeal to fans of either genre. My favorite track is Freeze Tag, which makes light of the state of relations between citizens and police.
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Children of Production by Parliament: as one of the forerunners of funk music, George Clinton and his band land the groundwork for the classic P-Funk (or Parliament-Funkadelic) sound. This track features intricate horn arrangements woven between syncopated drums that will surely have your head bobbing.
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smut by Dua Saleh: as I said in my “Slept On” feature, Dua Saleh is pushing the boundary of what it means to be a hip-hop/R&B artist in the 21st century. I find their confident swagger on this track to be irresistible.
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Lockdown (feat. JID, Noname & Jay Rock) by Anderson .Paak: JID, Noname and Jay Rock team up remix a summer 2020 jam. On top of Anderson .Paak’s stellar verses, the three add their own insightful commentary on injustice in America.
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Abeja by Mndsgn and Sofie: this instrumental is as catchy as it is calming. The simple loop that plays for four minutes is perfect for studying.
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Warmth in the Coldest Acre by Photay: another instrumental, but this one has a much greater sense of progression than the last. Beginning with a quirky percussion loop, Photay slowly adds elements until the track builds into a wall of sound that is full of character.
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The Light by Joey Bada$$: The Badmon is back with his new EP The Light Pack, his first solo release in three years. He sounds as hungry as ever on this new track, and it has me excited for whatever he does next.
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Jekyll by Hiatus Kaiyote: one of my favorite tracks from the “wondercore” quartet from Australia. Like many of their songs, it features more than one section – the first part is stripped-back piano ballad, the second builds momentum with an afrobeat-inspired breakdown, and the final part is a neo-soul denouement. Be sure to check out my “Slept On” feature for this band!
– DJ Mango